2 Days in and the doubt is seeping in...need to vent

JavaMama98 · May 7, 2009

Three things, Shabinka:

1) 2 days is too soon to make any judgements based on one (the first) quiz).

2) Instructors are trying to instill in you a sense of respect for both the NCLEX-PN and the profession. In the beginning, there are lots of "weed-out" situations going on. They just want to see who can't hack it.

3) Who cares if some people go straight through to RN. I went for LVN first and that's what works for me. You have to go on what works for you and your situation not what works for your friend on the next row.

I guess there were actually 4 points I wanted to make. If what you want is really just to help people, "especially the elderly", you may want to be sure that nursing is the kind of care you want to provide, and not social work or therapy. Nursing is not a field to be taken lightly. Not saying you have to want it as a "passion" but it certainly isn't something you go into just for the $$$.

Hope this helps.

Shabinka · May 7, 2009

Thanks a bunch. It actually does help. You are right that I shouldn't care what other people are doing and that it's too early to judge.

I guess the point I'm still hung up on is whether or not this is the kind of care I want to provide to help people. I think it is and I am interested in medicine.... but at the same time I'm not sure.

txgal34 · May 7, 2009

if you don't have a medical background, i found foundations hard. our teacher said those with a med backgroud would sail thru foundations, but the "house would flip" once we hit the next level....and it did! of course most still did well, but it wasn't with the ease they had started with so hang on, i the further i went the better i did!

Shabinka · May 7, 2009

Thanks. I was pre-med many years ago in college so I have some science background. I also have some good tutors on medicine from my family that I can call upon.

pagandeva2000, LPN · May 7, 2009

Medicine and nursing are two different demons. And, it is only your first quiz. Most of us have doubts. I chose to remain an LPN rather than go further for personal reasons, but believe me, grades don't have much to do with it. I graduated top of my class and made a conscious decision not to go RN, but there are other students that did not do as well as I, but are not RNs, working on their BSNs, some of them. Don't be put off by the decisions of others, you have your own life to live. And, you have the right to change your mind.

You have to acclimate yourself to life as a nursing student, train yourself to think as they do and for many, this does not happen overnight. Good luck!

Shabinka · May 7, 2009

Thanks for the comment. I'm kind of freaking out and doubting myself a lot today because I'm not loving class and it's making me even doubt if I want to be an LVN. :sniff: I don't know what to do and how to turn this around.

When did class get really interesting and draw you in?

caliotter3 · May 7, 2009

Look at it this way. If you weren't in this school, what would you be doing? There is nothing wrong about going into nursing without being all "on fire". There are few people that are all that "fired up" about their occupation anyway. You want to be able to get a job and to reasonably enjoy your work. Your present doubts are normal. The trick is to go about your daily business without allowing feelings of doubt immobilize you into failure. Look for the bright side of nursing school. You are not standing in line at the unemployment office, at least not yet!

eldragon · May 10, 2009

It's good that some of your other classmates have a goal to continue on for their RN, but I'd take that with a grain of salt right now The expense and toll of nursing school hits read hard after a while and sometimes you don't always proceed as planned.

The truth is that probably about 40% of your class will fail the LVN program.

Just take it one day, and one exam at a time. If you are having strong doubts at this point, what else do you think you might rather do?